Is it worth it to hire a tax professional?

[rose angel]

Just wondering. We use tax software, which always gets us a refund, but thought there might be a better way. We are not self employed or anything complicated like that..

[amydidit]

If we didn't have a weird situation this year we'd be using the software. I don't see the point in hiring a pro unless you have something that isn't straight forward and easy. What that would be though will vary from person to person so it's really all a matter of perspective. IMO

[boongirl]

I think it depends on how stressed out you get by the process and how much you value that time. My dh and I get very stressed out by the tax process and we value spending our time doing other things. We don't have a lot of money but we thing the $250 a year is worth it. Some might think we are nuts for spending that amount but our accountant always comes up with a great return for us.

[eminer]

Unless you are really bad at dealing with forms and numbers, it probably isn't worth it to hire a professional. You can understand and check everything your software is doing by reading the IRS instructions. It's all there (except in obscure circumstances, which it sounds like you don't have).

[MidwifeErika]

We pay someone to do ours and it is great. I own a business, we are both students and homeowners, and I was paying taxes in more than 1 state. It was just easier on my mind to pay someone 100 bucks and have him do it. He always got us a sweet refund with more things than I would have looked to write off. So for us, he actually saved us more than he cost.
So, I guess it just depends on how much you understand taxes, what the items in your life you can write off are, etc. I had a friend who was a full time college student, insisted on doing his own taxes, but he didn't even realize the credits that were out there for students. Someone like him should not be doing his own taxes But, if you have an understanding of it all and it isn't stressful to you, then you can just do them yourself.

[weliveintheforest]

If your taxes are really straight forward, it wouldn't be worth it/. If you have a home business, or student loans or something that affects your taxes, then maybe.